Friday, November 17, 2006

Fort Collins has until April 1, the last chance for a decade, to apply for World Heritage status for the site or Soapstone as a whole.

The designation is meant to reflect human cultural and natural heritage sites that have international importance. There are 830 World Heritage sites in 138 countries, including the Great Wall of China, Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Egypt's Pyramids, Yosemite National Park and the Grand Canyon.

"It's a very significant recognition of that place's special qualities," said John Stokes, director of the city's natural resources department. Stokes said he's in the early stages of "exploring" the designation and what it would mean for the land and the city.